On Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh (Part 8)

On Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh (Part 8)

Md. Amzad Hossain

Perth, Western Australia

Email: A.Hossain@curtin.edu.au

Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist – Kenneth Boulding

Prelude

This discourse deals with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8. Amongst the 17 SDGs goal 8 is devised to “Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.” The major objectives of the goal (sustainable economic growth i.e. at least 7% per annum GDP growth in the least-developed countries, full and productive employment, and decent work for all) require contextual interpretation and judgment for achieving them in terms of social and ecological sustainability development realities of Bangladesh.

The mode of application of this goal can largely vary from country to country. The countries which have adequate and diverse natural resources with non-positive population growth need not consider provisions for “future generation” in their development framework. The generic definition of sustainable development states: “Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (WCED,1987).

On the other hand, most Bangladeshi people being supportive of future generation need to sustain different sustainability values and spiritualty for sustainability of future generation. They also need to consider the resource constraint of the country. The country’s soil fertility, fresh water reserves and ecological carrying capacity appears unable to cope with the rate of economic growth as stated in goal 8. Numerous literature including Meadows et al. (1972), Rogers et al. (2008) and Shiva (1993, 2005, 2016) discuss all these in terms of limits to growth.

Goal 8 also accommodates about a dozen of Target areas.[i] None of the target areas of this goal speaks about ‘economic development’. The term ‘development’ is also missing from the 17 SDGs and the target areas as the means of achieving the goals in context. However, the 17 goals are considered as the UN Project (proposal outline) for resurrecting the world from the increasing degeneration of sustainability such as negative population growth in some countries, imbalanced positive population growth in some other countries, worldwide social disintegration, political conflict and instability, war for mass destruction, economic recession, technological failure, ecological depletion, climate change etc.. Within this backdrop this whole project proposal appears to fail to support its objectives for transforming the world towards sustainability. Rather, the UN advocacy for sustainable economic growth in lieu of sustainable economic development could work as an economic weapon for faster destruction of holistic sustainability of the “LDCs, African countries, SIDS, and LLDCs” for whom this goal is ascribed.

The other 2 objectives are “full and productive employment and decent work for all”. Both appears to be ambitious wishes like most other goals especially such the Goal 1 and Goal 2. Bangladesh is largely rural – people are mostly self-reliant through self-employment in agriculture and fishing. The concept of ‘full employment’ and ‘decent work’ is largely irrelevant or/and incompatible to work conditions in Bangladesh. Thus, the rest of the discourse critically focuses only on ‘sustainable economic growth’ indicating sustainable pathways for achieving Goal 8 in Bangladesh.

How ‘economic growth’ differs from ‘economic development’?

Economic growth, which is an increase in quantity, cannot be sustainable indefinitely on a finite planet (Costanza et al., 1991). Conversely, Costanza et al. (1991) point out that economic development, which is an improvement in the quality of life without causing an increase in the quantity of consumed resources could be sustainable. If a country is said to be growing at 5 per cent per annum, it means that the total volume of its domestic output (GDP) is increasing at this rate. If population is growing at 2 per cent per annum, this means that output per head (or the average standard of living) is growing at 3 per cent per annum.

Economic growth, however, is not the same as economic development. The process of economic (and social) development must imply a growth in living standards, but it is much wider concept than the growth of per capita income alone. Thus, no country can be regarded as sustainably developed if it cannot provide all its people with such basic needs as housing, clothing, food, and minimal education (Desai and Potter,2008).

            Grafton et al. (2004) reveal that “Economic growth is commonly defined as an increase in real per capita GDP over time. Clearly this does not necessarily coincide with increase in overall welfare as GDP includes ‘bads’, such as expenditures on crimes or cigarettes, does not include non-market services, such as unpaid labour, and fails to consider depreciation in human-produced or natural capital stock, or value changes in intangibles, such as social capital, but which can have a large impact on our well-being. Alternative measures, such as net national product that does not account for depreciation in capital stocks, are not widely used, but are receiving increasing attention.”  The emerging concept of Sustainability Accounting (Khan, M., Hossain, A., Marinova, D., 2016) addresses the existing gaps in this context.

Is sustainable economic growth possible without achieving sustainable development?

Sustainable economic growth can be interpreted as a rate of growth which can be maintained without creating other significant economic problems, especially for future generations. Rapid growth in Bangladesh is exhausting resources beyond nature’s regenerative capacity resulting in creating environmental problems for future generations, including the depletion soil fertility, water stock and biodiversity, and global warming. Thus, sustainable economic growth can be sustained unless it conforms sustainable economic development principles that considers to satisfy the needs of humans but in a manner that can also sustain natural resources and the environment for future generations, for an economy largely functions in the ecosystem.

What are the sustainability principles for the economic growth of Bangladesh?

After the Limits to Growth was published Herman Daly developed the theory of an economy that understands the limits to growth and published in 1977 a book which defines four principles of sustainability for such an economy:

1. Limit the human scale (what he called throughput)to that which is within the Earth’s carrying capacity;
2. Ensure that technological progress is efficiency-increasing, rather that throughput-increasing;
3. For renewable resources,  harvesting rates should not exceed regeneration rates (sustainable yield); waste emissions should not exceed the assimilative capacities of the receiving environment; and
4. Non-renewable resources should be exploited no faster than the rate  of creation of renewable substitutes (Kanninen, Tapio 2013).

How excessive economic growth (7%) can destroy the resources sustainable economic development?

Berkhouse et al. (2003) reveal that sustainable economic development aims at achieving sustainable consumption and  production (Goal 12) in terms of  simple lifestyles and livelihoods that do not harm the environment. On the other hand, high economic growth inherently generates environmental resource depletion resulting in biodiversity loss, the spread of toxic substances and climate  change despite the efforts of many organizations and a long tradition of environmental regulation. Environmental problems continue to be serious concern including the possibility of new ones to emerge”.

The Western world is economically richer than the non-Western ones. Still, an unending debate is going on globally in terms of its long-term sustainability. The main point of the debate is whether economic growth (in place of sustainable development) alone is sustainable in itself at the cost of social and environmental sustainability. In this regard, many view that possibly the non-Western world is more sustainable in terms of social and environmental sustainability than the other.

Is current rate of economic growth (approx. 7%) socially, ecologically and environmentally sustainable in Bangladesh?

            Numerous writers on sustainable development and sustainability of Bangladesh say “No” to this question. For example C.A. Tisdell reveals:

“As a result of its economic growth, Bangladesh’s natural environment and resources are being altered in varied ways but to a large extent, adversely (cf. Government of Bangladesh 2001, p. 15). Overall, it seems that Bangladesh is procuring its current economic growth at significant environmental cost involving depletion and degradation of its natural resources, as was mentioned above.” … “The Green revolution agricultural practices tend to deplete soil fertility. It is well known that such practices involve a package of pesticides, chemical fertilisers and water. Even in the absence of subsidies, farmers become locked into the use of this package (Tisdell, 1999b, 2002). The package has three undesirable consequences: (a) it encourages monocultures, (b) it has undesirable resource spillovers – it may result in excessive water demands and contaminate waterways so for instance, adversely affecting fishery production and even human health, for example, via arsenic intake and nitrate loads in water – and (c) it depletes soil fertility because the off-take of soil nutrients contained in crops harvested usually exceeds the amounts of nutrients added in fertilizers, and there are other adverse long-term consequences for the soil, such as acidification. Thus to some extent, mining of the soil takes place. While there can be an economic justification for this, it does jeopardise long-run agricultural productivity” (Tisdell, 2002)..

What has been the real outcome of the prevalent economic growth in Bangladesh so far?

            Clearly, increasing socio-economic gaps between the rich and poor, diseases like obesity, underweight, diabetes, blood pressure and heart diseases etc. relating to food intake and lifestyle are epidemic; corruption and money laundering, social crimes and insecurity; and gender issues are increasing. Soil degradation, water scarcity and pollution, biodiversity extinction and   climate change phenomena are also on the increase.

How Bangladesh culture sees over-exploitation of natural and social capital?

Bangladesh is a predominantly Muslim country with almost 90% of its 160 million population being Muslims (Miller, 2009). Over-extraction of finite resources for over-consumption in order to lead wasteful lifestyle is repeatedly prohibited by Islam (Quran 2:60, 2:205, 5:64, 7:56, 28:4). Islam also prohibits exploitation with the generation of growth in money by charging interest or excessive profit. From a religious point of view Islam considers money just as a convenient medium of exchange. Its use as a commodity to lend or hoard for excessive profit can injuriously deprive others and is strictly prohibited. People can have surplus money to lend to those in need, but with profit sharing, not with fixed rate interest or high profit. For economic health, money ought to circulate in a community like blood. However, living simply and without greed for more than required is the standard of maintaining economic sustainability in Islam.

Who support over-exploitation of natural and social resources in Bangladesh?

Gandhi reveals: ‘The earth has enough for need, not for greed’; and Bauls say that Bangladesh has enough for living simply, not for luxury. Yet, some Bangladeshi people intend to lead a life-style of over-consumption and over-exploitation of the finite natural resources of the country in search of happiness in the western-style materialism. They mostly belong to an affluent class amongst the city dwellers and they hardly have an inspiration to ponder their societal and environmental obligations. They do not reciprocate to the rural poor who provide for the urban life. Religio-naturalist Baul philosophers see these people as ignorant, inexperienced and unrealistic. In order to adhere to the definition of sustainable development, Baul philosopher Vijay Sarker sings: “We are obliged to leave this beautiful earth, keeping the earth as it is.” The spirit of this song reveals that one generation should leave this beautiful earth environmentally unchanged for the next generations to come. This is what sustainable (economic) development is meant for.

Can high technology be instrumental to sustain long-term economic growth @ 7% per annum?

High technology is not desirable in sustainable development policy for village Bangladesh, since it supports the transfer of power to supranational institutions rather than re-empowering the local people to become self-reliant communities. To shape a sustainable future for Bangladesh, there is a need to redesign its future path of progress. The concept of progress with high economic growth that lies at the heart of the ideology of industrial society would not be fruitful.

The GR technology and economic growth, as Shiva (1994) argues, will not ensure ever-increasing prosperity. It is also not convincing that all societies will succeed by following the same path of the advanced industrial societies. It is inherent in the concept of development that some societies will be placed ahead, and some behind, which   leads to insecurity and anxiety. Shiva also notes that a promise of linear development is misleading since it obscures the fact that human beings are far from able to understand and control the natural world, and the fact that they are completely dependent on natural processes for the necessities of life (Shiva, 1994).

Local environmental sages suggest that climate or environmental change is natural and its sustainability is vested in its ‘renewal process’. The greater the exhaustion, the more frequent is the mode of renewal. Thus, climatic phenomena - temperature, floods, draughts and cyclones – are the process of environmental renewal. Baul guru Aziz Shah Fakir of Choraikole, Kushtia stresses that unless the ‘majority’[ii] understands this, their concern to reverse climate change may remain forever unachievable and futile. He concludes that the sustenance of local capital in its original natural form is the only hope toward ‘desirable climate change’.

         Thus, the world is in need of a process of development pursuing moderate or naturally renewable ‘exhaustion’ of resources which may not involve high economic growth but may address legitimate protection and fair distribution of local wealth to reduce poverty on one hand; and build a base for self-reliant sustenance and perpetuation of progress, on the other. To do this, localisation of local capital – land, water, forests, fisheries etc. - is not only desirable, but a pre-requisite.

Should we end present trend of unsustainable economic growth as prevalent in Bangladesh for the sake of holistic sustainability?

Ending economic growth is politically difficult. But we can no longer afford to let it continue to jeopardize achieving social and ecological sustainable development goals; because the current economic growth intensive development model is unsustainable. We can also longer cause irreversible damage to both ecosystems and human communities. At the same time we should continue to impose unproductive growth ceilings to lift people out of poverty (Kanninen, 2013)

What economic system is desirable and sustainable for Bangladesh?

In this regard Anielski (2009) reveals that the main criterion for devising a sustainable economic system is to achieve “genuine well-being” which is derived from “genuine wealth,” which in turn consist of five capital accounts that assess both the quantity and quality of each type of sustainability capital.  The five capitals are: (1) human capital – individual minds, bodies, spirits and their capabilities; (2) social capital – quality and strength of our relations in community: trust, honesty, common values, including tolerance; (3) natural capital – stocks and funds of things in nature that yield flows of natural resources and life-supporting ecosystem services; (4) built capital – machines, tools, durable consumer goods; (5) financial capital – money and other liquid assets, fungible and acceptable for payment of transaction and debts.

Our current system of national accounts focuses on (5), pays some attention to (4), and ignores (1), (2), and (3). The problem is that it is the first three that are most responsible for genuine well-being centric economic system.

What development paradigm is applicable for Bangladesh?

Sustainable economic development paradigm in congruence with the concepts of The Limits to Growth is applicable in Bangladesh for the paradigm has three sustainability components: Meeting basic needs, Recognizing environmental limits; and Principle of intergenerational equity.

How to educate our children about sustainable economic development paradigms?

Carnie (2003) argues that it is no longer good enough to feed young people with information and knowledge which bolster up the global divide. If young people are taught how to explore the corporate social responsibilities they are more likely to leave school understanding that they too have responsibilities as member of a global community; understanding that each one of their actions – putting on their clothes, eating a hamburger, getting in a car and going shopping – has an effect on others in different parts of the world and involve a moral choice on their part.

If children learn to connect with these issues at school by analysing, questioning, debating and using their minds to delve beneath the surface then there is a chance of shaping a better world. There is a chance that young people will realise that through their work and the way in which they live their lives each one make a positive contribution by way of practicing “Enough is Enough”. Science, history, economics and food technology taught without references to the above ethical components including “Enough is Enough” are barren (ibid.).

Why should ‘Enough is Enough’ be the goal for sustainability management?

There are downsides of continuous growth. Continuous economic growth that forever chases for exhausting natural resources is eventually destined to exceed ecological limits and fail environmentally.  After a point, economic growth also fails to improve people’s lives. Dietz and O’Neil (2013) reveals that “The main problem with pursuing never-ending economic growth stems from the fact that the economy is a subsystem of the biosphere. All of the inputs to the economy come from the environment, and all of the waste produced by it returns to the environment.

As the economy expands, it consumes more materials and energy, and emits more wastes. But since we live on a finite planet, this process cannot go on forever. Like an inner tube inside a tire, the subsystem can only grow so large compared to the system that contains”.  Data from surveys happiness and life satisfaction reveal that “Although GDP per capita has more than tripled in countries like the US and UK since 1950, people have not become any happier…. Happiness and life satisfaction do tend to increase with income, but only up to a point…. Once people can meet their basic needs and access enough goods and services, economic growth fails to improve their lives (ibid.)

Concluding Remarks

            From the above discussion it is clear that we need to determine a sustainable pathway for our economic progress that can halt local ecological and biological extinction processes of biodiversity (Dauvergne, 2009). Extinction rate currently stands at a critical situation. The loss of species touches everyone, no matter where or how we live, biodiversity is the basis for our existence.

Earth’s endowment of species provides humanity with food, fibre, and many other products and ‘natural services’ for which simply there is no substitute. Biodiversity underpins our healthcare systems; many drugs include chemical compounds derived from wild organisms, and billions of people worldwide rely on plant- and animal- based traditional medicine for their primary health care (Lorey, 2003).

The socio-economic gap between the haves and have-nots is also severe.  On the other hand, if only about 10 per cent of the national income could be redistributed in favour of the poor, it would be possible to lift everyone above the 'poverty-line' (Hossain and Marinova, 2015).

The SDG 4 (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all)[iii] and Goal 12 (Sustainable consumption and production) synergistically facilitate change over process from people’s madness of having more to the ethic of enough is enough (Dietz and O’Neil, 2013). The synergies from the ethics trigger spirituality to accept the limits to growth and build an economy that can meet our needs without undermining the life-support systems of the planet.

Finally, a person who knows that enough is enough will always have enough – Lao Tzu (sixth century BCE). The good news is that ideas for creating an ecologically sound economy are emerging from all corners of the world.

(To be continued   

REFERENCES

Anielski, Mark 2009 The Economics of Happiness – Building Genuine Weath. New Society Publishing, Canada.

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Carnie, Fiona. 2003. Alternative approaches to Education – a  guide to parents and teachers.  RoutledgeFalmer, London.

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World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) 1987, Our common future, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, viewed 20 August 2016, .

The End Notes